Illuminated miniature switch

ABSTRACT

An illuminated miniature switch which is switched ON or OFF by rocking motion of an actuator, wherein a projected portion of the actuator is provided inclined relative to the side face of the body portion of the switch, and the fulcrum portion of a movable contact plate receiving element is offset from a straight line vertical to the bottom surface of the switch body portion and passing through the axial portion of the actuator, whereby a space is formed in the opposite side from the offset position of the receiving element to dispose an illuminator such as a lamp, neon bulb or luminous diode therein, so as to illuminate the actuator from thereunder.

Wnited @tates Patent [191 @hashi [54] ILLUMINATED MINIATURE SWITQH [75]Inventor: Shigeo Ohashi, Tokyo, Japan [73] Assignee: Nihon KaiheiidKog'o Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, Japan 221 Filed: Sept.28, 1971 21Appl.No.:104,394

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1960Bonanno ..200/l67 A X 3/1969 Beinwald et a1. .200/167 A May 22, E973Sanchez ....200/167 A Baldwin ..200/ 167 A [57] ABSTRACT An illuminatedminiature switch which is switched ON or OFF by rocking motion of anactuator, wherein a projected portion of the actuator is providedinclined relative to the side face of the body portion of the switch,and the fulcrum portion of a movable contact plate receiving element isoffset from a straight line vertical to the bottom surface of the switchbody portion and passing through the axial portion of the actuator,whereby a space is formed in the opposite side from the offset positionof the receiving element to dispose an illuminator such as a lamp, neonbulb or luminous diode therein, so as to illuminate the actuator fromthereunder.

8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures ILLUMINATED MINIATURE SWITCH This inventionrelates to an illuminated type miniature switch having a rockermechanism, and more particularly it relates to a switch of the typedescribed in which improvements have been made particularly in themechanism of the actuator, the disposed position of the movable contactplate receiving element and the position of the illuminator.

The conventional switches having a rocker mechanism are mostly soarranged that the line connecting the axial position, or fulcrum, of theactuator and the supporting point of the movable contact plate receivingelement (for example, the line A-B in FIG. l which shows a section of aconventional switch) is vertical to the bottom surface of the bodyportion of the switch. in other words, the supporting point of thereceiving element is positioned on a line vertical to the fulcrum of theactuator. Therefore, in case a lamp or other type of illuminating meansis disposed in one of the two (right and left) spaces in the switch box,the other space (that is, the space where no illuminating means isdisposed) is left vacant. This not only produces an idle space but alsonecessitates enlargement of the lateral width of the switch box andimpedes miniaturization of the switch assembly.

As an attempt to overcome such problem, there has been proposed a methodin which the axis, that becomes the fulcrum of the actuator, is providedbiased either rightwise or leftwise from the center position of theactuator, and the receiving element is positioned on a vertical linethrough said axis so that one of the spaces in the switch box is formedwider than the other, and an illuminator such as a lamp is disposed inthe wider space. However, according to such construction, if the switchis of a miniature size, one side of the upper face of the actuator isextremely diminished to not only impede smooth mechanical operation butalso impair the external appearance of the switch.

The present invention has been deviced to eliminate the conventionaldefects and inconveniences such as mentioned above, and it is thereforean object of the present invention to provide an improved illuminatedswitch which is small in size, high in performance and long in servicelife, and wherein a protuberance for supporting a slider relative to avertically swingable actuator is provided aslant or displaced to oneside, and the fulcrum point or the central point of the fulcrum of areceiving element for receiving and supporting a movable contact platerelative to the axial position of said actuator is provided biasedeither rightwise or leftwise so that-an illuminator such as a a lamp canbe conveniently positioned in the other space without inviting anyinconvenience such as mentioned before.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an illuminatedminiature switch in which, in spite of the fact that the inside of theactuator and the position of the fulcrum of the movable contact platereceiving element are arranged eccentrically, the outside of theactuator is formed symmetrically as in the ordinary switches of thistype, thus allowing smooth mechanical operation and excellent externalappearance of the switch.

According to the present invention, the supporting point or fulcrum ofthe actuator is positioned at the central part thereof in the directionof its operation, while the fulcrum of the movable contact platereceiving element is provided biased either rightwise or leftwise from aline vertical to the bottom face of the body portion of the switch, sothat one side of the inside bottom face of the switch body can bebroadened. Therefore, it is possible to contain an illuminator, such asa lamp, neon bulb or luminous diode, within the body portion of theswitch while allowing the upper face of the actuator to have symmetricalright and left areas as in the conventional devices. These featuresbring about the splendid effect to allow not only the easy and smoothswitching operation of the switch but also maximum miniaturization ofthe switch as a whole in spite of the fact that an illuminator iscontained therein.

Further, according to the present invention, since the movable contactplate receiving element is positioned biased to a side opposite from theilluminator, it is possible to dispose the illuminator at a positionmost effective for the illuminating purpose so that uniform illuminationis imparted to the illuminated face of the actuator, thus allowing theuser to positively know the switched condition of the switch. Moreover,since the switching mechanism according to the present invention is of arocker mechanism, there can be obtained a switch which is solid andstout in structure and has a long life. In addition, since the structureis extremely simple for an illuminated type switch and can bemanufactured at low cost, it is possible to offer a switch which is oflow price.

The above-said and other objects, features and advantages of thisinvention will become more apparent from reading the following detaileddescription of the invention in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings showing embodiments of the present invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. I is a general front view of a conventional waveformed switch, withparts shown in section;

F IG. 2 is a general front view of an illuminated miniature switchaccording to the present invention, with parts shown in section;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the switch according to the present invention,with the actuator being removed;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the switch according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a case where the present invention isadapted in a three-step change-over switch; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the switching mechanism according to thepresent invention where the switch actuator is mounted detachablyrelative to the projected portion.

Referring to the drawings, reference numeral 10 designates generally thebody portion of the switch which is made of an insulating material. Inthe inner bottom face of said body portion 10 is disposed a rockerswitching mechanism which is of a known type and comprises fixedcontacts 11, a movable contact plate receiving element 12 and a movablecontact plate 13. Reference numeral 20 denotes an actuator or actuatorwhich has provided at its sides the lobes 20a adapted to be pivotallyfitted in the corresponding openings 10a formed at suitable positions inthe side walls of the switch body portion 10, whereby said actuator canswing vertically about the pivots 20a. Instead of providing such lobes,it is also possible to form a through-hole extending laterally of theactuator 20 and a pin or the like may be passed through said hole, withboth ends of the pin being fitted in the openings 10a in the side wallsof the body portion 10, thereby achieving the same effect as obtained incase of providing the lobes 200.

Although the actuator 20 is formed integral with the projected portion22 in the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 4, said projected portion (which isalso called converter) inclusive of the lobes 20a may be separated fromthe actuator and detachable attached to the latter so as to allowexchange of the lamp and the color of the actuator. An embodying exampleof this arrangement is shown in FIG. 6 where it will be seen that theprojected portion 22' is swingably supported by a pin and the actuatoris detachably secured to the top of the projected portion 22'. Any othermeans may be employed for mounting of the actuator 20, provided thatsuch means allows vertical swinging motion of the actuator.

Reference numeral 30 indicates an illuminator such as a lamp, neon bulbor luminous diode which is disposed in either the right-side space orthe left-side space on the inner bottom surface of the switch bodyportion 10, and 40 a switch fixing plate secured to a side wall of thebody portion 10. Said switch fixing plate is made of an elasticinsulating material and may be formed integral with the switch bodyportion 10.

In the present invention, it is essential that the supporting point orfulcrum 12a of the receiving element 12 for the movable contact plate 13is located at a position which is biased to one side (either rightwiseor leftwise) from a line vertical to the bottom surface of the switchbody portion and passing through the supporting points 20a, that is tosay the axis, of the actuator 20. In other words, the supporting points20a of the actuator 20 must be offset from a line vertical to the bottomsurface of the switch body and passing through the fulcrum 12a on thereceiving element 12. As shown in FIG. 2, in the switch according to thepresent invention, the vertical line A passing through the supportingpoint 20a does not coincide with the vertical line B passing through thefulcrum 20. While, in the conventional switch the same lines A and Bcoincide with each other as shown in FIG. 1. Thus, since the requisiteis that the supporting points 20a and 12a of the actuator 20 and thereceiving element 12, respectively, are offset from each other, thereceiving element 12 itself may be positioned on vertical line to thesupporting points 20a of the actuator 20 if its top end is bent orotherwise arranged such that the supporting point 12a of the receivingelement 12 is offset from the line vertical through the supportingpoints 20a of the actuator 20. Below the underside of the actuator 20are formed the housings 21. These housings 21 may be provided on bothsides of the projected portion 22 as in the shown embodiment or may beprovided only on one side where the illuminator 30 is disposed. Ofcourse, the housing 21 on the side where the illuminator 30 is locatedmust be formed sufficiently wide to keep the actuator 20 safe fromcontacting the illuminator 30 when the former is slanted vertically.

The illuminator 30 may be directly connected to the terminal of the lampcircuit as shown, or otherwise it may be detachably mounted by use ofsuitable means such as for example a socket (not shown). The projectedportion 22 at the bottom of the actuator 22 is provided with a hollow orrecession adapted to receive a telescopic slider 24 through a spring 23.Thus, the exposed end of said slider 24 is laterally movably pressedagainst the upper surface of the movable contact plate 13. As saidbefore, the supporting point of the receiving element 12 disposed on theinner bottom of the switch body portion 10 is positioned offset to oneside from a line vertical to the axis of the actuator 20, and anilluminator 30 such as a lamp, neon bulb or luminous diode is disposedon the side opposite from said offset supporting point 12a of thereceiving element. The illuminator 30 is electrically connected to aterminal 31 of the lamp circuit. The receiving element 12 has restedthereon the movable contact plate 13 so that the latter can swingvertically.

Shown in FIG. 5 is an embodiment of the three-step change-over switchwhere the middle section is the OFF position. In this case, too, thesupporting point 12a or the central portion of the fulcrum of thereceiving element 12' is offset from a line vertical to the axis 20a ofthe actuator 20, so that it is preferred to make different the heightsof the respective fixed contacts 11' provided on both sides of thereceiving element 12, for it is possible to substantially equalizing thecontact pressures on both sides by changing the heights of both fixedcontacts 11' relative to each other. Equalization of the contactpressures on both sides may also be accomplished by simply changing theconfigurations of the right and left portions of the movable contactplate 13 from one another.

While the invention has been described centering on the embodimentsshown in the accompanying drawings, it will be under-stood that theseembodiments are merely illustrative and not restrictive to the scope ofthe present invention. That is, the present invention can be embodied inmany other forms with various changes and modifications withoutdeparting from the spirit and the scope of the invention, and all ofthese changes and modifications are embraced within the scope of theclaims that follow.

What is claimed is:

1. An illuminated miniature switch in which the ON and OFF switching iseffected by rocking motion of a movable contact plate in accordance withpivotal swing movement of an actuator, wherein the supporting point of amovable contact plate receiving element is positioned offset from a lineperpendicular to the bottom face of the switch body portion and passingthe pivoting axis of said actuator perpendicularly thereto, and anilluminator is disposed on the side opposite from the offset position ofsaid receiving element so as to illuminate the actuator from thereunder.

2. An illuminated miniature switch according to claim (1), in which saidactuator is provided with a projected portion adapted to support aslider therein, said projected portion being inclined to one side.

3. An illuminated miniature switch according to claim 1, in which saidilluminator is detachably mounted.

4. An illuminated miniature switch according to claim 1, in which saidactuator and said projected portion are detachably secured to each otherso that the latter can be separated from the former along with the lobesin the axial position of the former.

5. An illuminated miniature switch according to claim 1, in which theswitch body portion is formed integral with a switch fixing plate madeof an insulating material.

6. An illuminated miniature switch according to claim 1, in which saidilluminator is a lamp.

7. An illuminated miniature switch according to claim 1, in which saidilluminator is a neon bulb.

8. An illuminated miniature switch according to claim 1, in which saidilluminator is a luminous diode. k

1. An illuminated miniature switch in which the ON and OFF switching iseffected by rocking motion of a movable contact plate in accordance withpivotal swing movement of an actuator, wherein the supporting point of amovable contact plate receiving element is positioned offset from a lineperpendicular to the bottom face of the switch body portion and passingthe pivoting axis of said actuator perpendicularly thereto, and anilluminator is disposed on the side opposite from the offset position ofsaid receiving element so as to illuminate the actuator from thereunder.2. An illuminated miniature switch according to claim (1), in which saidactuator is provided with a projected portion adapted to support aslider therein, said projected portion being inclined to one side.
 3. Anilluminated miniature switch according to claim 1, in which saidilluminator is detachably mounted.
 4. An illuminated miniature switchaccording to claim 1, in which said actuator and said projected portionare detachably secured to each other so that the latter can be separatedfrom the former along with the lobes in the axial position of theformer.
 5. An illuminated miniature switch according to claim 1, inwhich the switch body portion is formed integral with a switch fixingplate made of an insulating material.
 6. An illuminated miniature switchaccording to claim 1, in which said illuminator is a lamp.
 7. Anilluminated miniature switch according to claim 1, in which saidilluminator is a neon bulb.
 8. An illuminated miniature switch accordingto claim 1, in which said illuminator is a luminous diode.